white



No. 6l4,682. Patented Nov. [22, I898. w. R. WHITE.

GATE.-

(Application filed May 11, 1898) (N0 Model.) 2 Shady- Sheet l.

n45 upnms Perms so momuwo" WASHINGTON, n. c.

Patented Nov. 22, I898. W. B. WHITE.

G AT E.

(Applicatidn filed May 11, 1898.)

2 Sheets-$heet 2.

(No Model.)

IVILLIAM RICHARD WVHITE, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,682, dated November 22, 1898.

Application filed May 11, 1898. Serial No. 680,371- (No model.)

T 0 (tZZ whont it Duty concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RICHARD \VHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in swinging gates; and it consists, substantially, in such features of construction, arrangement, and combinations of parts as will hereinafter be more particularly described.

The movable latch-bar of the gate of my present improvement is normally in an ad vanced or projected position when the gate is closed, this position of the latch-bar, however, being the same as is set forth in some patents already granted to me on this subject.

I have heretofore employed operating devices for the latch-bar which by their'arrangement and construction projected more or less from the side of the gate, and as a support and protector for said devices I have'also usually employed some form of laterally-projecting frame on the side of the gate, and while my former gates have given satisfactory results it is desirable in some instances to have as little weight as possible at the hinged end of the gate as well as to dispense with all laterally-projecting parts or outside constructions. 'In other Words, it has been found desirable that the latch-bar-operating devices shall lie as close to and work as nearly as possible in line with the side of the gate, and it will be understood that this is the principal object of the present invention, although it also has other objects in view, as will hereinafter more fully appear when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which I Figure 1 is a perspective View of a swinging gate embodying my improvements, the gate being shown in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a View in perspective showing my improved adjustable gate-support, and Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the support detached.

My present invention may be carried into effect in different ways; but preferably 1 employ substantially the embodiment herein shown, wherein a lever is used for projecting the latch-bar. The said lever is preferably a spring-lever, with its plane of movement or action in line with the side of the gate and directly adjacent thereto. By this arrangement all projecting portions from the side of the gate are dispensed with, and the gate is thereby rendered considerably lighter at thehinged end.

The connectingbar from the operating hand-levers is preferably connected directly with the latch-bar near to the inner end thereof, or, if desired, the connection may be made immediately at the end.

I shall hereinafter make specific mention of my improved adjustable support for the gate 011- its hinges.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents the supporting-post for the gate 2, which latter may be either of Wood or metal and maybe constructed in any suitable Way. Opposite to said post, on the other side of the gate-opening or roadway, is. another post 3, against which the free end of the gate rests when the gate is closed, the said post having projecting therefrom a catch or keeper 4, having a shoulder 5, which engages the outer end of the latch-bar. On the same side of the roadway as the post 1 and in alinement there with are the posts 6 and 7, a cross-brace 9 uniting these three posts, while post 6 is provided With a catch or keeper 4 to engage the latch-bar when the gate isin its open position.

The operating-levers 10 10 are respectively fulcrumed to the post 6 and to a support or frame 1 on the post 1, and as distinguished from the arrangement of similar levers in my former patents they are required by the construction shown in Fig. l to be pulled down at their outer ends to open the gate and to be pushed upward to close the gate. This results from the fact that the connecting-bar 11 between the hand-levers and gate does not describe as great a sweep as in the former constructions referred to, and consequently the hand-levers are caused to remain practt cally at a horizontal position when the gate is open instead of being carried downward at their inner ends by their own weight,as before. An advantage results from this in the fact that but a limited movement of the hand-levers is necessary and the gate is carried posi tively back and forth in the act of opening and closing the same.

The inner ends of the operating-levers l0 10 are loosely connected together, so that upon the application of force to either lever they both move together as usual, and in order to properly guide the inner ends of the levers in their up and down movements I provide one of them with an elongated staple 8, firmly secured thereto and extending around the post 7 and free to slide thereon and permit the requisite sweep of the levers in the operation of the gate.

The gate 2, as herein shown, is constructed of a number of flat bars united at suitable distances apart by means of the duplicate vertical strips 12, between which latter the latch-bar 13 is guided in its longitudinal movements, the said latch-bar being provided with a loop lat at its outer end to engage the shoulders of the catch-plates l and 4 on posts 3 and 6.

As shown in Fig. 1, the connecting'bar 11, that movably connects with one of the handlevers,is in movable connection with the latchbar 13, near the inner end of the latter, as shown at 16; but in some instances this connection may be made directly at the end of the bar, an eye, loop, or other similar fastening 16" being provided for the purpose.

Projecting from the side of the gate above the latch-bar is a pin 18, (or it could be an eye,) and on the side of the topmost bar of the gate is secured a strip 19, the outer end of which is about in vertical alinement with the pin 18. A spring-lever 20, secured at its upper end to the end of the strip 19 and eX- tending downward close to the side of the gate, is mounted on the pin 18 under tension and has its lower end bent laterally and inserted in an opening 17 in the latch-bar, the end of the lever being prevented in any suitable way from slipping out. This spring-lever could be secured to the end of the strip 19 either by solder, a screw or rivet, or in any suitable manner, and from the construction and arrangement shown it will be seen that the tendency of the lower end of the said lever is to maintain the latol1bar in a slightlyadvanced position to keep the gate locked while closed. Immaterial changes could be resorted to in this general arrangement and still be within the scope of the invention.

It will be seen that when one of the hand operating-levers is depressed the latch-bar will be drawn inwardly against the tension of the spring-lever 20 and the gate will be released, whereupon the strain will be imparted directly to the gate and the latter will be carried to its extreme open position and there become engaged or locked. To return the gate to its closed position, substantially the same operation takes place by pushing upwardly on one of the hand-levers.

In the construction shown the weight of the inner, ends of the hand-levers maintains the latch-bar in its locked position, and the force of the spring 20 also constantly tends to press the latch-bar forward. The gate is thus kept securely locked in both positions, while at the same time it requires but comparatively little strength to release the latch-bar on manipulation of the hand-levers.

I have also devised an improved form of adjustable support, which is preferably employed in connection with my improved gate, by which to sustain the gate at dillferent vertical heights on its hinges, and while this support could also be changed in dilferent respects as regards its particular shape I prefer the construction I am about to describe. Thus the supporting-post 1 for the gate is provided with the loop or staple hinges -10 of ordinary form, and between said hinges the post is provided with a number of perforations 41, arranged in vertical alinement.

The vertically-adj ustable support itself is designated at 42 and comprises an arm 48, having at its lower end two fingers 44, extending in opposite directions to each other, one being for the purpose of entering the perforations 41 in post 1 and the other serving as a handle to manipulate it properly in raising or lowering the gate and fixing or setting the support in place. The upper end of said support has two offset portions 50 and 51, one of which, preferably the upper one 51, is simply perforated for the passage of the hinge, while the lower one 50 is bifurcated at 52. This construction facilitates placing the support upon the hinge while assembling the parts and at the same time provides for a ready adjustment of the support on the post when it is desired to change the elevation of the gate. Said support could be cast or constructed in various ways; but preferably I form the same in two parts a and l) and rivet or otherwise secure them together at c d. The construction shown furnishes great strength and is easily and cheaply made.

It will be understood that while arranging the gate-support in position upon the loop or staple hinge the hinge portion c on the gate is so fitted upon the hinge as to come between the offset portions at the upper end of the support, and consequently when the support is raised or lowered the gate will be carried with it.

\Vithout limiting myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement shown and described, what I claim is- 1. In a swinging gate, the combination of a movable latch-bar, operating hand-levers for the gate, a projection on the side of the gate above the latch-bar, a spring-lever disposed in vertical position and secured at its upper end to the gate, and being in movable connection at its lower end with the latchbar, said lever bearing against the projection and tending to maintain the latch-bar in an advanced position, and a connecting-bar be- IIO tween said latch-bar and the inner end of one of the hand operating-levers, substantially as described.

2. In a swinging gate, the combination with the gate, its supporting-post having the perforations, and the hinges, of the adjustable support having the offset portions fitting upon one of the hinges and constructed with fingers extending in opposite directions, one of said fingers adapted to enter said perforations, while the other constitutes a handle, substantially as described.

3. In a swinging gate, the combination with the gate, its supporting-post having a series of perforations, and the hinges, of the adjustable support having offset portions at its upper end, one of which portions is perforated and the other bifurcated to engage one of the hinges as set forth, the lower end of the support being provided with a lateral finger adapted to enter the perforation in said post, substantially as described.

t. In a vertically-adj ustable swinging gate, the adjustable support for the gate constructed of two parts secured together and having the offset projections at its upper end, one being perforated to receive the hinge and the other being bifurcated to embrace the hinge, the said support having at its lower end the fingers projecting in opposite directions to each other, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the posts, the gate, the pivoted operating-levers, the'connections between the gate and levers and a staple on one of said levers passing around one of the posts, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM RICHARD \VHITE.

\Vitnesses:

A. J. BARR, L. B. RANKIN. 

